Handheld adhesive applicator

ABSTRACT

A handheld adhesive applicator is provided with a housing assembly, a cartridge assembly removably connected to the housing assembly, and a handle assembly removably connected to the housing assembly. The cartridge assembly includes a primary spool for mounting an adhesive segment roll and a secondary spool for automatically winding a spent portion of the adhesive segment roll. A gear arrangement allows for numerous adhesive segments to be applied consecutively in a glide-type application or for a single adhesive segment to be accurately applied using a manual advance feature. The removable handle may be gripped during a primary mode of operation or removed for a secondary mode of operation in which the housing assembly is gripped during use.

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 60/917,987 and 60/917,986, both filed May 15, 2007 and U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 60/987,506 and 60/987,491, both filed Nov. 13, 2007, all of which are incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This disclosure generally relates to the application of pressure-sensitive adhesive segments from a release liner. More particularly, this disclosure relates to handheld devices for applying pressure-sensitive adhesive segments from a release liner.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

Hobbyists and home craft artists, particularly those involved in scrapbooking, commonly use pressure-sensitive adhesive segments dispensed from a release liner to attach displayed objects, such as photographs, newspaper clippings and other such memorabilia, to a substrate such as scrapbook pages or other display medium. The pressure-sensitive adhesive segments are typically arranged seriatim on the release liner in a manner that allows the segments to be dispensed either singly, i.e., one at a time, or multiply, i.e., in groups including a plurality of segments. Typically, adhesive segments are dispensed from a roll of release liner onto a recipient surface (of either the displayed object or the substrate to which it is attached) by bringing one or several of the adhesive segments into contact with the surface of the recipient. The adhesive segments intentionally have greater adherence to the recipient surface than to the release liner. As a result, subsequent relative movement between the release liner and the recipient causes the adhesive segment or segments to release from the release liner and remain adhered to the recipient. With the adhesive segment or segments adhered to the recipient, the displayed object may then be attached to the substrate.

One possible alternative to dispensing the adhesive segments directly from the release liner to the surface of a recipient is to remove an adhesive segment from the release liner by hand and then apply it to the object. However, there are numerous practical problems with such a method. For example, pressure-sensitive adhesive segments by their nature are, of course, sticky and gummy. When handled by hand, the adhesive tends to stick to the fingers and ball-up. Because of the stickiness of the adhesive segment, it is often difficult to transfer the adhesive segment from the hand to an object. Additionally, because the adhesive segment oftentimes balls-up when handle by hand, the adhesive segment is not applied to the recipient in its original shape nor in an even layer. Not applying the adhesive segment in its original shape nor in an even layer affects the adhesive segment's strength of adhesion. Furthermore, the human hand has oils that can negatively affect the adhesion and can also bring acid to the surface, adversely affecting long term archivability.

Applying adhesive segments according to the foregoing method may be adequate in limited circumstances when securing a relatively small object, but application by hand is not preferred for larger objects or projects requiring the repeated application of one or more adhesive segments to different recipients. Furthermore, adhesive segments are widely used in commercial applications to secure objects, e.g., applications such as removably securing a credit card to a transmittal letter, applying a product label, or sealing packaging. To that end, numerous handheld adhesive applicators have been provided, which allow for more controlled, rapid application of a larger number of adhesive segments to an object. Examples of known handheld adhesive applicators include those described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,195,049 and in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2005/0178507, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.

There are a number of disadvantages associated with known handheld adhesive applicators, most notably their general lack of operational flexibility. For example, some known devices are well-suited for a single type of application, such as in what will be referred to herein as glide-type applications. These are applications requiring several adhesive segments to be applied quickly in a straight line with an uninterrupted movement of the device. But these devices are poorly suited for other types of applications, such as those requiring the repeated application of a single adhesive segment. Other known handheld devices are provided with a pistol-grip handle that is suitable for some applications, but obtrusive for other applications. Additional disadvantages include the small roll capacity of some known devices and the need to manually thread and secure a new roll after a first adhesive segment roll has been exhausted.

Therefore, a need remains for a handheld device that provides enhanced operational flexibility. Other needs include a handheld device with an increased roll capacity and an improved roll reloading mechanism.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one embodiment or aspect of the present disclosure, a handheld adhesive applicator is provided with a housing assembly, a cartridge assembly removably connected to the housing assembly, and a handle assembly removably connected to the housing assembly. The cartridge assembly includes a primary spool for mounting an adhesive segment roll and a secondary spool for automatically winding a spent portion of adhesive segment roll. A gear arrangement allows for numerous adhesive segments to be applied consecutively in a glide-type application or for a single adhesive segment to be accurately applied using a manual advance feature. The removable handle may be gripped during a primary mode of operation or removed for a secondary mode of operation in which the housing assembly is gripped during use.

One aspect of the present invention relates to a handheld adhesive applicator including a housing and a cartridge that is removably connected to the housing. The cartridge has a primary spool and a secondary spool. The primary spool receives an adhesive roll including a wound supply of a liner that has adhesive deposited thereon. The secondary spool collects portions of the liner that are advanced from the primary spool, and the primary spool and the secondary spool are operatively connected to each other by a drive belt.

Another aspect relates to a cartridge for use with a handheld adhesive applicator. The cartridge includes a primary spool which receives an adhesive roll. The adhesive roll has a wound supply of a liner that includes adhesive deposited thereon. The cartridge also includes a secondary spool that collects portions of the liner that are advanced from the primary spool, and the primary spool and the secondary spool are operatively connected to each other by a drive belt.

Yet a further aspect relates to a method of applying adhesive. The method includes providing an adhesive applicator having a housing and cartridge removably connected to the housing. The cartridge has a primary spool and a secondary spool. The primary spool receives an adhesive roll that includes a wound supply of a liner having adhesive deposited thereon. The secondary spool collects portions of the liner that are advanced from the primary spool, and the primary spool and the secondary spool are operatively connected to each other by a drive belt. A manual advancement member of the adhesive applicator is activated to advance a desired amount of the liner from the adhesive roll. As portions of the liner are advanced from the adhesive roll, the portions are collected on the secondary spool. Once the desired amount of liner has been advanced, the adhesive is applied to an objection from the liner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a handheld adhesive applicator according to an aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the handheld adhesive applicator of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a cartridge assembly of the handheld adhesive applicator of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4A is a partially exploded view of the cartridge assembly of FIG. 3.

FIG. 4B is a partially exploded view of another embodiment of a cartridge assembly suitable for use in the handheld applicator of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4C is a perspective view of a primary spool pin locking member suitable for use with the cartridge assembly of FIG. 4B.

FIG. 5A is an exploded view of a cartridge body of the cartridge assembly of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5B is an exploded view of the proximal portion of an alternative embodiment of a cartridge body suitable for use in the cartridge assembly of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5C is a perspective view of a roller pin locking member suitable for use with the cartridge assembly of FIG. 5B.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a cartridge body half suitable for constructing the cartridge body of FIGS. 5A & 5B.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a roller pin suitable for use with the cartridge assembly of FIG. 3.

FIG. 8A is a perspective view of a roller suitable for use with the roller pin of FIG. 7.

FIG. 8B is an elevational view of another embodiment of a roller suitable for use with the roller pin of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a primary spool of the cartridge assembly of FIG. 3.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a roll of adhesive segments mounted on the primary spool of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the roll of adhesive segments of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is an exploded view of the roll of adhesive segments of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13A is a perspective view of a secondary spool sub-assembly of the cartridge assembly of FIG. 3.

FIG. 13B is an exploded view of the secondary spool of FIG. 13A.

FIG. 14A is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a cartridge assembly suitable for use with the handlheld applicator of FIG. 1.

FIG. 14B is a perspective view of the cartridge body of the cartridge assembly of FIG. 14A.

FIG. 14C is an elevational view of the left half of the cartridge body.

FIG. 15 is a front perspective view of a handle assembly of the handheld adhesive applicator of FIG. 1.

FIG. 16 is a partially exploded view of the handle assembly of FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 is a front perspective view of a trigger of the handle assembly of FIG. 15.

FIG. 18 is an exploded view of one of the handle body halves of FIG. 16.

FIG. 19 is a front perspective view of a housing assembly of the handheld adhesive applicator of FIG. 1.

FIG. 20 is an exploded view of the housing assembly of FIG. 19.

FIG. 21 is a rear perspective view of one of the housing body halves of the housing assembly of FIG. 19.

FIG. 22 is a side elevational view of the housing body half of FIG. 21.

FIG. 23 is a bottom plan view of the housing assembly of FIG. 19.

FIG. 24 is another front perspective view of the housing assembly of FIG. 19.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of a ratchet pin of the housing assembly of FIG. 19.

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a trigger actuator of the housing assembly of FIG. 19.

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of a ratchet of the housing assembly of FIG. 19.

FIG. 28 is a perspective view of a return driver of the housing assembly of FIG. 19.

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of an idler gear of the housing assembly of FIG. 19.

FIG. 30 is a perspective view of a roll of adhesive segments suitable for use with a handheld adhesive applicator according to the present invention.

FIG. 31 is a side elevational view of the handheld adhesive applicator of FIG. 1, with selected components removed for clarity.

FIG. 32 is a front perspective view of another embodiment of a handheld applicator of the present disclosure.

FIG. 33 is a side perspective view of the handheld applicator of FIG. 32.

FIG. 34 is an exploded perspective view of the handheld applicator of FIG. 32.

FIG. 35 is a front perspective view of a handle assembly of the handheld applicator of FIG. 32.

FIG. 36 is an exploded perspective view of the handle assembly of FIG. 35.

FIG. 37 is a front perspective view of a housing assembly of the handheld applicator of FIG. 32.

FIG. 38 is an exploded perspective view of the housing assembly of FIG. 37.

FIG. 39 is a bottom plan view of the housing assembly of FIG. 37.

FIG. 40 is a side elevational view of one of the housing body halves of the housing assembly of FIG. 37.

FIG. 41 is a rear perspective view of the housing body half of FIG. 40.

FIG. 42 is a perspective view of a handle locking member of the housing assembly of FIG. 37.

FIG. 43 is a side elevational view of the locking member of FIG. 40.

FIG. 44 is a perspective view of a tracking member of the housing assembly of FIG. 37.

FIG. 45 is a perspective view of the idler gear of the housing assembly of FIG. 37.

FIG. 46 is a bottom front perspective view of the handheld applicator of FIG. 32.

FIG. 47 is a schematic illustration of the handheld applicator of FIG. 32.

FIG. 48 is a bottom rear perspective view of the handheld applicator of FIG. 32.

FIG. 49 is a schematic illustration of the drive mechanism of one embodiment of the handheld applicator of the present disclosure.

FIG. 50 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a handle assembly suitable for use with the handheld applicators disclosed herein.

FIG. 51 is a bottom perspective view of another embodiment of a handheld applicator to which the handle assembly of FIG. 50 can be attached.

FIG. 52 is an exploded view of another embodiment of a handheld applicator in accordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 53 is a perspective view of the handheld applicator of FIG. 52.

FIG. 54 is an exploded view of the housing assembly of the handheld applicator of FIG. 52.

FIG. 55 is a perspective view of the housing assembly of FIG. 54 having one half of the body of the housing assembly removed to show the internal components.

FIG. 56 is a perspective view of the housing body halves of the housing assembly of FIG. 54.

FIG. 57 is a perspective view of the track wheel of the housing assembly of FIG. 54.

FIG. 58 is a perspective view of the gripping section of the track wheel of FIG. 54.

FIG. 59 is a perspective view of the leaf spring of the housing assembly of FIG. 54.

FIG. 60 is a perspective view of the cartridge assembly of FIG. 52 with half of the cartridge body removed to show the internal components.

FIG. 61 is an exploded view of the cartridge assembly of FIG. 52.

FIG. 62 is an elevational view of one of the body halves of the cartridge assembly of FIG. 61.

FIG. 63 is an elevational view of the disk-like portion of the secondary spool of the cartridge assembly of FIG. 61.

FIG. 64 is a cross-sectional view of the secondary spool of FIG. 63 taken along lines A-A.

FIG. 65 is a plan view of the second portion of the secondary spool of the cartridge assembly of FIG. 61.

FIGS. 66 and 67 are schematic illustrations of the drive mechanism of the handheld applicator of FIG. 52.

DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

Detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriate manner.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a handheld adhesive applicator 10 of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the handheld adhesive applicator 10, which shows three main subassemblies—a cartridge assembly 12, a handle assembly 14, and a housing assembly 16. The subassemblies can be primarily comprised of a lightweight plastic material. The cartridge assembly 12 is provided with clips 18 that allow the cartridge assembly to releasably lock into the housing assembly 16 without the need for tools, as will be described in greater detail herein. The handle assembly similarly has clips 20 that allow it to be releasably attached to the housing assembly.

FIG. 3 is an isolated view of the cartridge assembly 12, with FIG. 4A showing a partially exploded view thereof. The cartridge assembly 12 includes a cartridge body 22 onto which are secured a number of rotatable components, namely a roller 24, a primary spool 28, and a secondary spool 30. The cartridge assembly 12 of FIGS. 3 and 4A is also shown with an adhesive segment roll 32 pre-loaded on the primary spool 28, but it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the roll 32 may be provided separately from the cartridge assembly 12.

FIG. 5A is a front perspective view of the cartridge body 22. The cartridge body 22 may be provided as a unitary structure or as a pair of symmetrical left and right halves. FIG. 6 illustrates one such half 34 of the cartridge body 22, the other half (not illustrated) being substantially a mirror image of FIG. 6. It is advantageous to provide the cartridge body as two halves to simplify the molding process. The two halves may be joined to each other at upper and lower bridge portions 36 by any of a number of means, including but not limited to ultrasonic welding.

The cartridge body 22 has a proximal portion 38, a distal portion 40, and an intermediate portion 42 between the proximal portion 38 and the distal portion 40 (FIG. 6). The proximal portion 38 includes a pair of substantially parallel front prongs 44. Each prong 44 includes a roller pin opening 46 aligned with the matching roller pin opening 46 of the other prong. FIG. 7 illustrates one embodiment of a suitable roller pin 48, with a cap 50 on one end, a plurality of extending tabs 52 on the other end, and a shaft portion 54 extending therebetween. The tabs 52 are resiliently collapsible, allowing them to pass through the openings 46 and return to their original configuration, which prevents inadvertent removal of the roller pin 48.

Optionally, as illustrated in FIG. 8B a roller pin locking member 49 is employed to assist in keeping the roller pin 48 in place. FIG. 5C illustrates one embodiment of the locking member 49. The locking member 49 includes an elongated shaft 55 that is sized to fit within the shaft portion 54 of the roller pin 48. The locking member 49 also includes a cap 57 that has a plurality of projections 59 extending radially outwardly from the cap. After roller pin 48 has been assembled in openings 46 of the cartridge body 22 (FIG. 5B), the shaft 55 of the locking member 49 is inserted into shaft portion 54 of roller pin 48, and projections 59 are positioned between and mate with tabs 52 of the roller pin. The mating between the tabs 52 and projections 59 aids in further securing roller pin 48 into place.

The roller pin 48 is adapted to receive a roller 24 between the prongs 44, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4A. In one embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 8A, the roller 24 is comprised of a substantially tubular roller core 58 surrounded by a substantially tubular roller overmold 60. It may be advantageous for the roller core 58 to be comprised of a plastic material and for the roller overmold 60 to be comprised of an elastomeric material, but other materials may be employed without departing from the scope of the present invention.

FIG. 8B illustrates another embodiment of a roller 62 suitable for use with the roller pin 48. The roller 62 may be of a unitary construction or employ the core-overmold design of FIG. 8A. In the embodiment of FIG. 8B, the roller 62 has angled ends 64 at opposite sides of a substantially cylindrical midsection 66. A roller so provided may be preferable to a purely cylindrical roller for a number of reasons. First, the angled ends 64 assist in centering the carrier strip of the adhesive segment roll during use. Also, the angled ends 64 maintain the outer surface of the roller in contact with the carrier strip to promote uniform tension in the carrier strip. Regardless of the particular configuration, the roller is rotatable about the associated roller pin 48 for use in applying adhesive segments to an object, as will be described in greater detail below.

The intermediate portion 42 of the cartridge body 22 is provided with opposing, aligned openings 68, one of which is visible in FIG. 5. The openings 68 are adapted to receive a primary spool pin 70 (FIGS. 3 and 4), which may be configured and operate generally according to the foregoing description of the roller pin of FIG. 7. In one embodiment, the cap of the primary spool pin 70 may include a head 72 (FIG. 4) adapted to be received by a matching notch of one of the openings 68 (not illustrated) for preventing rotation of the primary spool pin 70 about its axis. Referring to FIG. 41, in one embodiment, a primary spool pin locking member 71 can be used to assist in securing primary spool pin 70 to the carriage body 22. As shown in FIG. 4C, the locking member 71 includes an elongated shaft 73 and a cap 75. Cap 75 includes a plurality of projections 77 extending radially from the cap. After the primary spool pin 70 has been inserted into openings 68 of the cartridge body 22, the elongated shaft 73 of the locking member 71 is inserted into the shaft 79 of the primary spool pin 70. The projections 77 of the cap 75 are positioned between and mate with tabs 81 (FIG. 4B) of the primary spool pin 70. The mating of the tabs 81 and projections 77 assists in securing the primary spool pin 70 to cartridge body 22.

A primary spool 28 (FIG. 9) is received on the primary spool pin 70 for rotation thereabout The primary spool 28 is comprised of a disk-shaped wheel portion 74 and a hub portion 76 extending away from one face of the wheel portion 74. In one embodiment, the primary spool 28 is provided as a unitary molded plastic component.

The outer circumference of the wheel portion 74 includes a groove or channel 78 adapted to receive a band or drive belt 80 (FIGS. 3 and 4). The drive belt 80 associates the primary spool 28 with the secondary spool 30, as will be described in greater detail herein. The hub portion 76 is adapted to receive a roll of adhesive material 32, as shown in FIG. 10. Typically, the roll 32 is fixed with respect to the hub portion 76 to control the rate at which adhesive segments are applied, as will be described in greater detail herein. According to one manner of fixing the roll 32 with respect to the hub portion 76, the hub portion 76 may be provided with an outward radial extension or key 82 (FIG. 9). The roll 32, in turn, may be provided with a tubular roll core 84 (FIGS. 11 and 12) including an interior notch 86 having a mating relationship with the key 82, such that the roll core 84 slides onto the hub portion 76, with the key 82 fitting within the notch 86. This configuration causes the roll 32 to rotate with the primary spool 28 about the primary spool pin 70 during use of the handheld adhesive applicator 10.

The distal portion 40 of the cartridge body 22 includes a pair of substantially parallel rear prongs 88 (FIGS. 3-6). In the illustrated embodiment, the free end of each rear prong 88 terminates at a clip 18. The rear prongs 88 are preferably somewhat flexible, allowing the clips 18 to be pressed toward each other before resiliently returning to their equilibrium configuration. Such a configuration is advantageous in connecting the cartridge assembly 12 to the housing assembly 16, as will be described in greater detail herein.

Each prong 88 includes a relatively short, substantially cylindrical stubshaft 90 (one of which is visible in FIGS. 4 and 5) aligned with and extending toward a substantially identical stubshaft of the other prong. The substafts 90 are adapted to be received within the bore 92 (FIG. 13A) of the secondary spool 30, as generally illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4A.

The secondary spool 30 is illustrated in greater detail in FIGS. 13 and 13B. The secondary spool 30 is comprised of a disk-shaped gear portion 94 and a tubular hub portion 96 extending away from one face of the gear portion 94. In one embodiment, the secondary spool 30 is provided as a unitary molded plastic component. The outer circumference of the gear portion 94 includes a plurality of gear teeth 98 adapted to cooperate with an idler gear of the housing assembly 16, as will be described in greater detail below. It will be understood that the secondary spool fits entirely between the rear prongs 88 of the cartridge assembly, mounted on the stubshafts 90, i.e., the tubular hub portion 96 does penetrate either of the prongs 88 as might be suggested upon a cursory glance at FIG. 4A.

The hub portion 96 of the secondary spool 30 includes a groove or channel 100 adapted to receive the drive belt 80 (FIG. 3). The secondary spool 30 is typically mounted within the cartridge body 22 so as to position its channel 100 directly behind the channel 78 of the primary spool 28, such that the drive belt 80 is seated within both channels. In one embodiment, the drive belt 80 is a relatively flexible band of elastomeric material that is stretched to fit snugly within both channels, such that it is rotated by one of the primary spool 28 or the secondary spool 30 to drive the other, as will be described in greater detail below.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 13A and 133B, the secondary spool 30 is provided with a slip sleeve 102. The slip sleeve 102 is substantially cylindrical and slides over the hub portion 96. Preferably, the slip sleeve 102 is adapted to fit between the gear portion 94 and the channel 100, as shown in FIG. 13A, to avoid interfering with the drive belt 80 within the channel 100. Advantageously, the friction between the hub portion 96 and the slip sleeve 102 is such that the slip sleeve 102 will rotate with the hub portion 96 until a sufficient resistive force holds the slip sleeve 102 stationary and causes it to slip over the rotating hub portion 96 (rather than rotating therewith) until the magnitude of the resistive force decreases. The function of this interaction between the hub portion 96 and the slip sleeve 102 will be described in greater detail below.

FIG. 14A illustrates another embodiment of a cartridge assembly 212 suitable for use with the handheld applicators disclosed herein. The cartridge assembly 212 is generally similar to cartridge assembly 12 of the previous embodiment and includes a cartridge body 222 onto which are secured a number of rotatable components—a roller 24, a primary spool 28 and a secondary spool 30.

FIG. 14B is a front perspective view of cartridge body 222. The cartridge body 222 may be provided as a unitary structure or as a pair of right and left halves 234 a and 234 b, respectively. The right half 234 a is generally similar to that described above with respect to FIG. 6. FIG. 14C illustrates one embodiment of left half 234 b. As seen in FIGS. 14B and 14C, the left half 234 b includes a first raised portion 289 a and a second raised portion 289 b. The first and second raised portions 289 a and 289 b define a generally circular shaped recess 291 that is sized to except the end of hub 96 of the secondary spool 30 (FIG. 13B). Additionally, a first guide channel 293 a and a second guide channel 293 b are defined by the spacing between the first and second raised portions 289 a and 289 b. As shown in FIG. 14A, the guide channels 293 a and 293 b assist in guiding the drive belt 80 as the drive belt drives the secondary spool 30. Additionally, the walls of the recess 291 surround channel 100 of hub 96 and aid in maintaining the drive belt 80 within channel 100.

Turning now to the handle assembly 14, FIG. 15 is an isolated view of the handle assembly 14, while FIG. 16 is an exploded view. In the illustrated embodiment, the handle assembly 14 is comprised of two generally identical handle body halves 104. The handle body halves 104 may be joined to each other by any of a number of known means, including but not limited to ultrasonic welding. Each handle body half 104 may be provided with a front overmold 106 and rear overmold 108 (FIGS. 1 and 2). The overmolds may be comprised of an elastomeric material to provide improved comfort when the handle assembly 14 is gripped by a user.

When joined together, the handle body halves 104 define a cavity which receives a trigger 110 and trigger spring 112. The trigger 110 is shown in greater detail in FIG. 17. The trigger spring 112 is a coil spring which extends between a rear wall of the handle body cavity and a rear surface of the trigger 110 to resiliently bias the trigger 110 to an extended condition projecting out of the front of the handle assembly 14. The handle assembly 14 is gripped and the trigger 110 is pressed by a user to compress the trigger spring 112 and move the trigger 110 to a depressed condition.

A trigger shank 114 of the trigger 110 extends upwardly from the handle assembly 14 and is moved back and forth by actuation of the trigger 110. The trigger shank 114 interacts with a trigger actuator of the housing assembly 16 to apply adhesive segments, as will be described in greater detail hereinafter.

As seen in FIG. 18, each handle body half 104 has a clip chamber 116 which receives a clip 20 and associated clip spring 118. The clip spring 118 is a coil spring which extends between a wall of the clip chamber 116 and a rear surface of the clip 20 to resiliently bias the associated clip 20 to an extended condition. An upper surface 120 of each clip 20 may be angled, such that a downward force applied to the upper surface 120 will move the clip 20 from the extended condition to an at least partially depressed condition. Such a configuration is advantageous in connecting the handle assembly 14 to the housing assembly 16, as will be described later.

The housing assembly 16 is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 19 and 20. In the illustrated embodiment the housing assembly 16 is comprised of two generally identical housing body halves 122. FIGS. 21 and 22 show additional views of a housing body half 122. The housing body halves 122 may be joined to each other by any of a number of known means, including but not limited to ultrasonic welding. FIG. 23 is a bottom plan view of the joined housing body halves 122.

When joined together, the housing body halves l22 define a cavity which receives various drive mechanism components, all of which are illustrated in FIG. 20. FIG. 24 shows the interior of the housing body cavity and the components as assembled, while selected components are also individually shown in FIGS. 25-29. As configured within the housing body cavity, the foremost component is a return spring pin 124. The return spring pin 124 is a shaft with ends fixed in opposing supports 126 of the housing body halves 122. The supports 126 are relatively short, not touching each other when the housing halves 122 are joined to each other, as shown in FIG. 24. Hence, a midsection of the return spring pin 124 remains bare and is used to secure one end of a return spring 128. The return spring 128 is a coil spring with one end secured to the bare midsection of the return spring pin 124 and the other end secured to a ratchet pin 130.

The ratchet pin 130 is illustrated in greater detail in FIG. 25 and is a cylindrical shaft having an enlarged portion 132 with a non-circular cross section. The ends of the ratchet pin 130 are received within opposing supports 134 of the housing body halves 122. The supports 134 are horizontally elongated into an oval configuration, as perhaps best shown in FIG. 22. This allows the ratchet pin 130 to slide a short distance along the length of the housing assembly 16.

The enlarged portion 132 of the ratchet pin 130 is received by a mating sleeve portion 136 of a trigger actuator 138. The trigger actuator 138 is shown in greater detail in FIG. 26. The non-circular cross section of the enlarged portion 132 prevents the trigger actuator 138 from rotating about the ratchet pin 130, but instead causes the ratchet pin 130 to rotate when the trigger actuator 138 is pivoted. Thus, it may advantageous for there to be some play when the enlarged portion 132 of the ratchet pin 130 is received within the associated support 134 to allow the ratchet pin 130 at least some degree of rotation.

In addition to the sleeve portion 136, the trigger actuator 138 also includes a latch portion 140 having an aperture 142 therethrough (FIG. 26). FIG. 23 is a bottom plan view of the housing assembly 16 and shows that the aperture 142 is accessible through a trigger shank opening 144 in the bottom of the housing assembly 16. When the handle assembly 14 is connected to the housing assembly 16, the trigger shank 114 passes through the trigger shank opening 144 and is received by the aperture 142 of the trigger actuator 138. Hence, movement of the trigger 110 by a user will be transmitted to the trigger actuator 138 to ultimately allow for manual advancement of the adhesive segment roll, as will be described in greater detail herein.

The ratchet pin 130 also serves as the pivot point for a ratchet 146. The ratchet 146 is illustrated in greater detail in FIG. 27. The ratchet 146 includes a substantially tubular sleeve portion 148 that receives the ratchet pin 130 for rotation thereabout. The ratchet 146 also has a U-shaped portion comprising two legs 150 and 152. Each leg has a downwardly angled portion 154, such that the free end of each leg is lower than the connected end of each leg. In the illustrated embodiment, the free end of one leg 150 is substantially planar and the free end of the other leg 152 includes a plurality of upstanding gear teeth 156, which will be described in greater detail below.

The free ends of the ratchet legs 150 and 152 rest upon a return driver 158, as shown in FIG. 24. The return driver 158 is shown in greater detail in FIG. 28. The ends of the return driver 158 are received within opposing supports 160 of the housing body halves 122. The supports 160 are vertically elongated, into an oval configuration, as perhaps best shown in FIG. 22. This allows the return driver 158 to slide a short distance along the height of the housing assembly 16. A return driver spring 162 is positioned below the return driver 158 and extends from a bottom wall of the housing body cavity to an underside of a spring support box 164 of the return driver 158. The return driver spring 162 is a coil spring which biases the return driver 158, and hence the free ends of the ratchet legs 150 and 152 which are supported by the return driver 158, to an up position. When a downward force is applied to the return driver 158 and/or the free ends of the ratchet legs 150 and 152, the return driver spring 162 will compress and allow the return driver 158 and free ends of the ratchet legs 150 and 152 to move to a lowered position. The function of this range of movement will be described hereinafter.

When the return driver l58 and free ends of the ratchet legs 150 and 152 are in the up position, the gear teeth 156 of the ratchet leg 152 mesh with the gear teeth 166 of an idler gear 168 (FIG. 24), similar to a typical rack and pinion system. The idler gear 168 is shown in greater detail in FIG. 29. The idler gear 168 is substantially hollow and rotatable about a shaft 170 having its ends received within opposing supports 172 of the housing body halves 122. The supports 172 are advantageously positioned directly above the supports 160 for the ends of the return driver 158. The supports 172 fix the ends of the shaft 170 and, hence, the vertical position of the idler gear 168. Therefore, movement of the return driver 158 from the up position to the lowered position will move the leg 152 away from the idler gear 168 and at least partially disengage the gear teeth 156 of the ratchet leg 152 from the gear teeth 166 of the idler gear 168.

The cartridge assembly 12 and the handle assembly 14 are connected to the housing assembly 16 as follows. The handle assembly 14 is pressed upwardly into a handle seat 174 at the bottom of the housing assembly 16 (FIG. 23). The trigger shank 114 passes through the trigger shank opening 144 and each handle clip 20 moves into a mating handle clip opening 176 of the handle seat 174. The clips 20 are slightly wider than the clip openings 176, such that the perimeter of each clip opening will press against the angled upper surface 120 of the associated handle clip 20, moving the clip 20 from an extended condition to an at least partially depressed condition. In the at least partially depressed condition, the clips 20 slide into the clip openings 176 before the clip springs 118 move the clips 20 back to the extended position, thereby locking the handle assembly 14 in place. When installed, the trigger shank 114 will extend into the housing body cavity to be received by the aperture 142 of the latch portion 140 of the trigger actuator 138.

In the illustrated embodiment, the handle assembly 14 includes a plurality of upstanding posts 178 (FIG. 15) adapted to fit within associated post openings 180 (FIG. 23) of the handle seat 174. The posts 178 help guide the handle assembly 14 into the handle seat 174 during installation and prevent the handle assembly 14 from wobbling during use of the handheld adhesive applicator 10.

If the handle assembly 14 is to be removed, as may be desirable to operate the handheld adhesive applicator 10 in a secondary mode, the clips 20 are pinched towards each other and the handle assembly 14 is pulled away from the handle seat 174 of the housing assembly 16.

The cartridge assembly 12 is installed by pressing the rear prongs 88 into a front opening 182 of the housing assembly 16 (FIG. 2). The width of the housing body cavity is slightly narrower than the clips 18 of the prongs 88, so the walls of the housing assembly 16 press against the clips 18 and bend them inwardly toward each other. This allows the prongs 88 to move through the housing body cavity until the clips 88 move into rear clip openings 184 of the housing assembly 16 and resiliently snap back outwardly to lock the cartridge assembly 12 in place. When installed, the gear teeth 98 of the secondary spool 30 will mesh with the gear teeth 166 of the idler gear 168.

In the illustrated embodiment, the cartridge assembly 12 includes an alignment flange 186 adapted to slide into an alignment flange receptacle 188 of the housing assembly 16 (FIG. 2). The alignment flange 186 helps guide the cartridge assembly 12 into the front opening 182 during installation and prevents the cartridge assembly 12 from wobbling during use of the handheld adhesive applicator 10. If the cartridge assembly 12 is to be removed, the clips 18 are pinched towards each other and the cartridge assembly 12 is pulled away from the front opening 182 of the housing assembly 16.

Prior to inserting the cartridge assembly 12 into the housing assembly 16, an adhesive segment roll 32 is installed on the primary spool 28. The exact configuration of the adhesive segment roll 32 may vary without departing from the scope of the present invention. In one suitable embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 30, pressure-sensitive adhesive segments 190 are supplied on a release liner in the form of a sheet or a carrier strip 192, configured as a roll 32. The roll 32 may have a relatively large diameter, such as between approximately 4 and 4.5 inches, which is larger than the adhesive segment roll used with a number of known handheld adhesive applicators. The adhesive segments 190 are secured to a low surface energy release surface 194 of the carrier strip 192. The release surface 194, which may be provided as a silicone coated surface, allows the pressure-sensitive adhesive segments 190 to release or be removed from the carrier strip 192. The measurement of surface energy is generally determined by the level of attraction between the molecules located at the surface of an object; higher attraction between molecules located at the surface generally equates with a high surface energy, and lower attraction between molecules located at the surface generally equates with a low surface energy. Higher surface energy surfaces generally have a stronger adhesion to adhesives because the higher attractive forces of the molecules have a greater attraction to the adhesive. Conversely, lower surface energy surfaces generally have a weaker adhesion to adhesives. The differential in surface energies is what allows a pressure-sensitive adhesive segment to be transferred from a carrier strip to the surface of an object.

The carrier strip 192 is wound about a spool with the adhesive segments 190 facing outwardly. The adhesive segments 190 contact the rear surface 196 of the portion of the carrier strip 192 overlaying them, but the rear surface 196 has a relatively low surface energy and adhesion, such that the adhesive segments 190 detach from the rear surface 196 without detaching from the release surface 194 as the roll 32 is unwound.

To install the roll 32, it is first mounted on a roll core 84, according to the foregoing description, and the roll core 84 is slid onto the hub portion 76 of the primary spool 28. The roll 32 is mounted such that the carrier strip 192 is dispensed in an underhand manner, as shown in FIG. 31. The carrier strip 192 is wrapped below the roller 24 and then is passed back over the top of the roll 32. In another embodiment, the cartridge assembly may be provided with a second roller (not illustrated) positioned between the roller 24 and the primary spool 28, such that the carrier strip 192 is wrapped over the second roller before being wrapped below the illustrated roller 24. From the top of the roll 32, the carrier strip 192 continues toward the rear of the cartridge assembly 12, where it is affixed to the slip sleeve 102 of the secondary spool 30. The carrier strip 192 may be affixed to the slip sleeve 102 by any of a number of methods, for example by splice tape, such that the bare, i.e., spent, carrier strip 192 winds around the slip sleeve 102 as the adhesive segments 190 are applied to an object.

With the roll 32 installed in the cartridge assembly 12, the cartridge assembly 12 may be loaded into the housing assembly 16 according to the foregoing description. In one embodiment, the cartridge assembly may be durable, wherein a cartridge assembly with an empty roll is removed from the housing assembly, the spent roll is replaced with a new roll, and the cartridge is thereafter reinstalled. In another embodiment, the cartridge assembly is provided to the user with an adhesive segment roll pre-loaded and is disposable. When the roll is spent, the entire cartridge assembly may be quickly replaced with another pre-loaded cartridge assembly. This latter embodiment may be preferred because it does not require the user to feed the carrier strip through the cartridge assembly, thereby saving a substantial amount of time. The handheld adhesive applicator 10 may be used in a number of ways. According to a primary mode, the cartridge assembly 12 and the handle assembly 14 are installed and the handheld adhesive applicator 10 can be used for either glide-type applications or single segment applications. To perform a glide-type application, a lead adhesive segment 190 is positioned to face away from the roller 24 and then pressed against an object. The user grips the handle assembly 14 and moves the handheld adhesive applicator 10 downwardly (with respect to the orientation of FIG. 31) while continuing to press the carrier strip 192 against the object using the roller 24. The carrier strip 192 advances to the next adhesive segment 190 and the user continues this movement of the handheld adhesive applicator 10 until the desired number of adhesive segments have been applied to the object.

The operation of selected components within the housing assembly 16 during such a glide-type application is noteworthy. First, it will be seen that advancing the carrier strip 192 rotates the primary spool 28, which causes the belt 80 to drive the secondary spool 30. This driving action wraps the spent portion of the carrier strip 192 around the slip sleeve 102 of the secondary spool 30. However, as is evident in FIGS. 3, 9 and 13, the diameter of the wheel portion 74 of the primary spool 28 is greater than the diameter of the hub portion 96 of the secondary spool 30, meaning that the secondary spool 30 must rotate relatively quickly to stay synchronized with the primary spool 28 as the adhesive segments 190 are dispensed. The slip sleeve 102 (to which the carrier strip 192 is affixed) operates to prevent this difference in rotational speed from damaging the carrier strip 192.

The difference in rotational speed creates tension in the carrier strip 192 which, in turn, provides a resistive force that resists the tendency of the slip sleeve 102 to rotate with the secondary spool 30. The slip sleeve 102 and the underlying hub portion 96 of the secondary spool 30 are configured such that the friction therebetween is initially great enough to overcome the resistive force imparted by the carrier strip 192, thereby causing the slip sleeve 102 to rotate with the secondary spool 30 and further increasing the tension in the carrier strip 192. When the tension in the carrier strip 192 reaches a threshold level (preferably less than the tensile strength of the carrier strip 192), the resistive force imparted by the tension will overcome the friction between the slip sleeve 102 and the hub portion 96 and cause the slip sleeve 102 to slip, i.e., remain stationary while the secondary spool 30 continues to rotate. The tension in the carrier strip 192 decreases as the slip sleeve 102 slips over the hub portion 96, thereby decreasing the resistive force imparted to the slip sleeve 102. When the resistive force is sufficiently small, the slip sleeve 102 will begin to again rotate with the secondary spool 30 and the self-corrective process of alternating rotating and slipping is repeated. Thus, it can be seen that the slip sleeve and hub portion 96 acts as a rotational speed differential mechanism, such as a clutch, which can accommodates the differential and constantly changing diameters of the amount of tape on the respective spools.

According to another method of using the handheld adhesive applicator 10 in the primary mode, single adhesive segments may be applied by a manual advance system. Such a method requires the use of the trigger 110. Squeezing the trigger 110 moves the trigger shank 114, which is received by the aperture 142 of the trigger actuator 138. This movement of the trigger shank 114 causes the trigger actuator 138 to move toward the rear of the housing assembly 16. The trigger actuator 138 is connected to the ratchet pin 130, so this movement of the trigger actuator 138 pulls the ratchet pin 130 toward the rear of the housing assembly 16, The ratchet pin 130 is connected to the ratchet 146, so it will be seen that squeezing the trigger 110 ultimately moves the ratchet 146 toward the rear of the housing assembly 16. This movement of the ratchet 146 causes the ratchet gear teeth 156 to rotate the gear teeth 166 of the idler gear 168 a controlled amount in the forward direction. The forward rotation drives the secondary spool 30 and the drive belt 80. The belt in turn drives the primary spool 28 to pay out a length of the carrier strip 192.

When the trigger 110 is released, the above process is reversed, with the ratchet 146 moving back to its initial position. However, rather than the ratchet gear teeth 156 engaging the gear teeth 166 of the idler gear 168 and driving the system in reverse, during the backstroke of the trigger 110 the return driver spring 162 will be compressed, at least partially lowering the ratchet 146 and allowing the ratchet gear teeth 156 to “slip” or “jump” past the stationary gear teeth 166 of the idler gear 168, maintaining the carrier strip 192 in the expected position when the trigger 110 is released. More advantageously, the ratchet gear teeth 156 are lowered to the point that they completely separate from the gear teeth 166 of the idler gear 168, ensuring that the ratchet 146 returns to its initial position without driving the idler gear 168 in reverse.

The amount of carrier strip 192 paid out by a complete trigger squeeze may vary, but in one embodiment the carrier strip 192 will be moved a distance equal to the distance between corresponding points of adjacent adhesive segments 190. This is advantageous for operations requiring the repeated application of a single adhesive segment, because a first adhesive segment can be properly positioned and applied, then the next adhesive segment may be advanced to the proper position by one full squeeze of the trigger. The system may also allow for incremental advancement of the carrier strip, with a half squeeze of the trigger advancing the carrier strip half the distance achieved by a complete squeeze. This may be advantageous for fine adjustments to the position of the carrier strip and adhesive segments, and may also be used to position the carrier strip in preparation for a glide-type application.

According to a second mode of operation, the handheld adhesive applicator 1O may be used without the handle assembly 14. By such a mode, a glide-type application similar to the one described previously for the first mode of operation may be carried out, with the one exception being that the housing assembly 16 is gripped instead of the handle assembly 14. This may be advantageous for glide-type applications in which the handle assembly 14 is obtrusive. For example, with the handle assembly 14 removed, the bottom of the housing assembly 16 may be placed against an object and pulled along it to apply one or more adhesive segments 190.

In one embodiment that may be advantageous for the second mode of operation, the housing assembly 16 may be provided with a secondary handle member 198 at a convenient position, such as near the top of the housing assembly 16 (FIGS. 1 and 2), and with a feature (such as an opening) suitable for being gripped by a user's fingers.

FIGS. 32, 33 and 34 illustrate another embodiment of a handheld applicator 310 of the present disclosure. This embodiment is generally similar to the previous embodiment and includes three main subassemblies—a cartridge assembly 312, a handle assembly 314 and a housing assembly 316. In this embodiment, the housing assembly 316 includes a track wheel 311 (best shown in FIG. 33), which can be rotated, typically by hand, to move the carrier strip 192 incrementally or to remove slack from the carrier strip as explained in more detail below.

Turning to the handle assembly 314, FIG. 35 is an isolated view of the handle assembly 314, while FIG. 36 is an exploded view. The handle assembly 314 has many similarities to handle assemble 14 and includes two generally identical handle body halves 304 a and 304 b which are joined together by for example, sonic weld, adhesive or mechanical attachment.

When joined together, the handle body halves 304 a and 304 b define a cavity 305 (FIG. 35), which receives a locking member 308 (FIG. 38) for securing the handle assembly 314 to the body assembly 312. The interaction between the locking member and the handle assembly will be explained in more detail below. Additionally, the handle assembly includes clips 320 which can be used to assist in attaching the handle assembly 314 to housing assembly 316 in a manner generally similar to that described above.

The housing assembly 316 is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 37 and 38. In the illustrated embodiment, housing assembly 316 is comprised of two generally identical housing body halves 322 a and 322 b. Housing body halves 322 a and 322 b may be joined to each other by any of a number of known means, including but not limited to ultrasonic welding. FIGS. 40 and 41 show additional views of one of the housing body halves 322 a. FIG. 39 is a bottom plan view of the housing assembly 316.

When joined together, the housing body halves 322 a and 322 b define a cavity which receives various drive mechanism components, all of which are illustrated in FIG. 38. Selected drive mechanism components are also individually shown in FIGS. 44 and 45. The drive mechanism components include an idler gear 324 (FIG. 45) and a track wheel 311 (FIG. 44). FIG. 49 illustrates the interaction between the track wheel 311 and the idler gear 324 of the drive mechanism when such components are assembled within the housing assembly 316. The idler gear 324, which is shown in more detail in FIG. 45, includes a generally hollow, elongated shaft 326 having a bore 328 passing therethrough. The idler gear 324 also includes a first set of teeth 330 and a second set of teeth 332, which are spaced apart from each other. The idler gear 324 rotates about a pin 334 (FIGS. 38 and 49), which extends through bore 328 of hollow shaft 326. The pin 334 includes ends 336 and 338 which are received into opposing supports 340 of body housing halves 322 a and 322 b (FIGS. 38, 40 and 41). As illustrated in FIG. 49, the first set of teeth 330 meshes with the teeth 31 of the secondary spool 30 when the cartridge assembly 312 is assembled with the housing assembly 316.

The track wheel 311 is shown in more detail in FIG. 44 and has a generally cylindrically shaped body that includes a central passageway 342 extending therethrough. A pin 344 (FIGS. 38 and 49) extends through the passageway 342 and the track wheel 311 rotates about the pin. The pin 344 includes ends 346, 348 which are received into opposing supports 350 of body halves 322 a and 322 b (FIGS. 38, 40 and 41). The supports 350 hold the pin 344 and the track wheel 311 in place. When assembled in the housing assembly, the track wheel 311 is positioned in an opening 352 (partially shown in body half 322 b of FIG. 38) in the housing wall so that a portion of the track wheel 311 is within the cavity of the housing and a portion of the track wheel exposed. The track wheel 311 is rotated about the pin 344 by contacting the exposed portion, typically by hand, and applying force in one direction or the other. The track wheel 311 also includes a plurality of recesses 356 (best shown in FIGS. 44 and 48) that extends circumferentially around the track wheel. Second set of teeth 332 of idler gear 324 mesh with the recesses 356 of track wheel 311 so that as the track wheel is rotated, it drives idler gear 324.

When the body assembly housing halves 322 a and 322 b are assembled, they also define a second cavity 358 (shown in FIG. 46 and partially in FIG. 38) that houses the handle assembly locking member 308. The locking member 308 slides back and forth within the cavity 358 between an unlocked position (shown in FIG. 39) and a locked position (shown in FIG. 46). The locking member 308 includes a protrusion 360 (FIGS. 43 and 46) that can be easily contacted with a finger to slide the locking member between the locked and unlocked position.

The cartridge assembly 312 and the handle assembly 314 are connected to the housing assembly 316 as follows. The handle assembly 314 is pressed upwardly into a handle seat 362 at the bottom of the housing assembly 316 (FIG. 39). Each handle clip 320 moves into a mating handle clip opening 364 of the handle seat 362. The clips 320 are slightly wider than the clip openings 364, such that the perimeter of each clip opening will press against the angled upper surface 321 of the associated handle clip 320, moving the clip 320 from an extended condition to an at least partially depressed condition. In the at least partially depressed condition, the clips 320 slide into the clip openings 364 before the clip springs move the clips 320 back to the extended position, thereby locking the handle assembly 314 in place.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 35, the handle assembly 314 includes first and second upstanding posts 366 a and 366 b adapted to fit within associated post openings 368 (FIG. 39) of the handle seat 362. The posts 368 help guide the handle assembly 314 into the handle seat 362 during installation and prevent the handle assembly 314 from wobbling during use of the handheld adhesive applicator 310. The locking member 308 is then slid rearwardly (FIG. 46) and the end portion is received into cavity 358 (FIG. 35) of the handle assembly 314 to lock the handle assembly into place.

If the handle assembly 314 is to be removed, as may be desirable to operate the handheld adhesive applicator 310 in a secondary mode, the lock 308 is slid into the unlocked position. The clips 320 are then pinched towards each other and the handle assembly 314 is pulled away from the handle seat 362 of the housing assembly 316.

The cartridge assembly 312 is installed by pressing the rear prongs 388 into a front opening 370 of the housing assembly 316 (FIG. 34). The width of the housing body cavity is slightly narrower than the clips 372 of the prongs 388, so the walls of the housing assembly 316 press against the clips 372 and bend them inwardly toward each other. This allows the prongs 388 to move through the housing body cavity until the clips 372 move into rear clip openings 374 of the housing assembly 316 and resiliently snap back outwardly to lock the cartridge assembly 312 in place. When installed, the gear teeth 31 of the secondary spool 30 mesh with the gear teeth 330 of the idler gear 324 as illustrated in FIG. 49.

In the illustrated embodiment, the cartridge assembly 312 includes an alignment flange 376 adapted to slide into an alignment flange receptacle 378 of the housing assembly 316 (FIG. 34). The alignment flange 376 helps guide the cartridge assembly 312 into the front opening 370 during installation and prevents the cartridge assembly 312 from wobbling during use of the handheld adhesive applicator 310. If the cartridge assembly 312 is to be removed, the clips 372 are pinched towards each other and the cartridge assembly 312 is pulled away from the front opening 370 of the housing assembly 316.

Handheld applicator can be used for either glide-type applications or single segment applications. The glide-type application is similar to the glide-type application described above. The user grips the handle assembly, presses the carrier strip against an object and moves the handheld applicator downwardly or in the direction of desired adhesive application.

According to one method of using the handheld applicator, single adhesive segments may be applied by a manual advance system. Such a method requires the use of track wheel 311. With reference to FIG. 49, rotation of the track wheel 311 in the direction of arrow A (clockwise in FIG. 49) rotates the idler gear 324 in the direction of arrow B (counter-clockwise in FIG. 49), which in turn rotates the secondary spool 30 in the direction of arrow C (clockwise in FIG. 49). As the secondary spool 30 rotates, it drives the drive belt 80 and the primary spool 28. As the primary spool 28 rotates, it pays out a length of carrier strip. The length of carrier strip paid out varies and is advantageously controlled by the user. Preferably, the user rotates the track wheel 311 so that a single segment is in the proper position for application. After application, the user again rotates the track wheel 311 to pay out another length of the carrier strip and advance the next adhesive segment into position.

The track wheel 311 can also be used to take up any slack in the carrier tape between the primary spool 28 and secondary spool 30 that may occur during use. To take-up slack, the user simply rotates the track wheel 311 in the direction of arrow A of FIG. 49. Because of the gear ratio, the secondary spool 30 rotates at a faster rate than the primary spool 28. In one embodiment, the secondary spool 30 rotates at about a 4 to 1 ratio to the primary spool 28. The differential in rotation between the spools causes the secondary spool 30 to take-up more carrier tape then is let out by the primary spool 28, thereby taking-up any slack of the carrier tape between the spools.

FIGS. 49-51 illustrate another method of attaching the handle assembly 414 to body assembly 416. As shown in FIG. 50, the handle assembly 414 includes a fastening member, such as the illustrated screw 418. Referring to FIGS. 49 and 51, to attach the handle assembly to the body assembly, the screw 418 threads into a threaded opening 420 located into the bottom of the body assembly 416. The fastening member provides stability to the handle and, optionally, eliminates the use of handle assembly clips.

FIGS. 52 and 53 illustrate another embodiment of a handheld applicator 500, which includes a disengageable manual carrier strip advancement member that can be employed to advance the carrier strip or liner a desired amount to place a selected portion of adhesive into position for application of the adhesive to an object. In one embodiment, the disengageable advancement member can also be employed to remove carrier strip slack that may occur between the primary and secondary spools. Handheld applicator 500 includes a housing assembly 502 and a cartridge assembly 504. When joined together, cartridge assembly 504 is received into cavity 506 defined by housing assembly 502, and clip 508 of cartridge assembly 504 engages portion 510 of housing assembly 502 to releasably mount the cartridge assembly to the housing assembly 502. In one embodiment, cartridge assembly 504 is a disposable cartridge that can be easily replaced after the cartridge is spent.

Housing assembly 502 includes a housing body 503 having an upper body portion 512 and a lower or handle portion 514. Handle portion 514 preferably is ergonomically designed to be comfortably gripped by the hand of a user. Referring to FIG. 54, housing assembly 502 includes two generally similar housing body halves 516 and 518, a disengageable advancement member, such as track wheel 520, a track wheel mounting pin 522 and a leaf spring 524.

As shown in FIG. 56, housing body halves 516 and 518 are generally symmetrical. Housing body half 518 includes an upper body portion 526 and lower handle portion 528 extending from upper body portion 526. Upper body portion 526 includes a front portion 530 and a rear portion 532. Extending from rear portion 532 is a mounting support 534 that includes an elongated slot 536 for receiving one end 537 of pin 522 (shown in FIG. 54) and mounting the pin to body half 518. Slot 536 includes a front end 533 and a rear end 535, and pin end 537 is movable with the slot between the front end and the rear end. The upper body portion 526 also includes a spring mounting support 538 for mounting leaf spring 524 (shown in FIG. 54) to housing assembly 502. Similarly, housing body half 516 includes an upper body portion 540 and a lower handle portion 542 extending from upper body portion 540. Upper body portion 540 includes a front portion 544 and a rear portion 546. A mounting support 548 extends from rear portion 546. Mounting support 548 includes an elongated slot 550 for receiving the other end 539 of pin 522 (shown in FIG. 54) and mounting the pin to body half 516. Slot 550 includes a front end 551 and a rear end 553, and pin end 539 is movable between the front and the rear ends. Upper body portion 540 can also include a leaf spring mounting support 552 for mounting leaf spring 524 (shown in FIG. 54) to housing assembly 502.

Housing body halves 516 and 518 can be joined to each other by any suitable methods, including but not limited to ultrasonic welding. In the illustrated embodiment, handle portion 528 of body housing half 518 includes projections 554 that are received into recesses 557 of handle portion 542 of body half 516 when the body halves are joined together. The mating of projections 554 and recesses 557 provides structural strength and stability to the handle 514 and housing assembly 502.

When housing body halves 516 and 518 are joined together, the upper body portions 526 and 540, respectively, define cavity 506 of housing assembly 502, and handle portions 528 and 542 join together to define handle 514 of housing assembly 502. Additionally, the track wheel 520 is rotatably mounted to housing assembly 502 by pin 522, as will be explained in more detail below.

Referring to FIG. 57, track wheel 520 is generally cylindrically shaped and has a central passageway 556 extending therethrough. Track wheel 520 also can include a channel 558 extending circumferentially around the track wheel. Channel 558 is configured to accept a grip ring 560, shown in FIG. 58. If employed, grip ring 560 provides a gripping surface that assists in gripping track wheel 520 with a finger, such a thumb, to rotate the track wheel 520 during use. Preferably, grip ring 560 can be comprised of any suitable polymer that provides a gripping surface for a finger. Furthermore, the polymer ring 560 can be placed around track wheel 520 by any suitable means, such as overmolding. Track wheel 520 also includes a plurality of gear teeth 562, which can be a plurality of recess that are configured to mesh and cooperate with a sprocket of the cartridge assembly 504, as explained in greater detail below.

Referring to FIGS. 54 and 55, to rotatably secure the track wheel 520 to housing assembly 502, pin 522 is placed into and extends through passageway 556 of the track wheel 520. The ends 537 and 539 of pin 522 are received into the elongated slots 550 and 536 of opposing supports 548 and 534 of the housing body halves 516 and 518, respectively. Supports 534 and 548 hold pin 522 and track wheel 520 in position, and the track wheel is rotatable about pin 522. A portion of track wheel 520 is exposed so that the track wheel can be easily rotated by a user's finger.

Referring to FIG. 55, leaf spring 524, which is shown in more detail in FIG. 59, includes a mounting end 564 and a free end 566. In this embodiment, mounting end 564 is generally J-shaped and is mounted to either mounting support 538 of body half 518, mounting support 552 of body half 516 or both. Free end 566 contacts and biases track wheel 520 rearwardly so that the pin ends 537 and 539 are positioned at the rear ends 535 and 553 of elongated slots 536 and 550 (shown in FIG. 56), respectively, and the track wheel 520 is in a rearward or disengaged position. As will be explained in more detail below, is this position, the track wheel 520 is disengaged from gears of the cartridge assembly 504. During use, a user can move the track wheel into an engaged position, i.e., the gear teeth 562 of the track wheel 520 are engaged with gears of the cartridge assembly 504, by applying pressure to the track wheel 520. Upon application of pressure, the leaf spring 524 will flex, and the pin ends 537 and 539 will move toward the front ends 533 and 551 of elongated slots 536 and 550, respectively. As the pin 524 moves forwardly within slots 536 and 550, the track wheel 520 also moves forward to engage the gears of the cartridge assembly 504, as will be explained in more detail below. It should be understood that the disengageable track wheel and leaf spring can also be employed in the housing assembly 316 described above.

Referring to back to FIG. 52, cartridge assembly 504 includes a cartridge body 568, which may be provided as a unitary structure or as a pair of symmetrical body halves. The components of cartridge assembly 504 are shown in more detail in FIGS. 60 and 61. A number of rotatable components, namely, roller 570, primary spool 572 and secondary spool 574 are mounted onto cartridge body 568. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 61, the cartridge body includes a first body half 578 and a second body half 580, which can be joined together by an suitable means.

Roller 570 is generally similar to the roller previously described, and is rotatably mounted to roller support member 582 of body half 578, as shown in FIG. 60. The primary spool 572 is comprised of a disk-shaped wheel portion 584 and a hub portion 586 extending away from the wheel portion 584. A passageway 588 extends through the center of the hub portion 586 and the primary spool 572 is rotatable mounted to the cartridge body 568 by inserting a primary spool support 590 of housing body half 578 through passageway 588, as shown in FIG. 60. The hub portion 586 is adapted to receive a roll of adhesive material. The roll can be fixed to the hub portion by fiction fit, a key or adhesive, so that the roll rotates with the primary spool. A plurality of gear teeth 592 extend around the outer circumference of the wheel portion 584. As explained in greater detail below, gear teeth 592 are configured to mesh and cooperate with the teeth of the secondary gear of the secondary spool 574.

The secondary spool 574, which is shown in FIG. 61 and in more detail in FIGS. 63, 64 and 65, includes a first portion 594 and a second portion 596 (as shown in FIG. 61). The first portion 594 includes a disk-shaped sprocket portion 598 and tubular hub portion 600 extending away from the sprocket portion 598, as shown in FIGS. 63 and 64. Similar to the previous embodiments, the hub portion 600 is adapted to receive slip sleeve 602 (shown in FIG. 61), which generally serves the same rotational speed differential function as described above. The outer circumference of the sprocket portion 598 includes a plurality of gear teeth 604 adapted to cooperate with the gear teeth 562 of the track wheel 520 when the cartridge assembly 502 is mounted to the housing assembly 502 and the track wheel 520 is in the engaged position. The second portion 596 of the secondary spool 574 includes a secondary sprocket portion 606 including a plurality of gear teeth 608 and a shaft portion 6 10 extending form the secondary sprocket portion 606, as shown in FIGS. 61 and 64. The first and second portions 594 and 596 of the secondary spool 574 are joined together by inserting the shaft portion 610 of the second portion 596 into a passageway 612 extending through the hub portion 600 of the first portion 594. The shaft 610 engages the hub portion 600 so that the first and second portions 594 and 596 of the secondary spool 574 are fixed to one another and rotate in unison. In the illustrated embodiment, the passageway 612 of the hub portion 600 has a pair of opposed projections 614 (as shown in FIG. 63) extending into the passageway 612 and the shaft portion 610 of second portion 596 includes a pair of opposed notches 616 that are configured to accept and frictionally engage the projections 614. Accordingly, the engagement between the notches 616 and the projections 614 results in the first and second portions 594 and 596 rotating together. The secondary gear teeth 608 of secondary sprocket portion 606 of the second portion 596 are configured to mesh and cooperate with the gear teeth 592 of the primary spool 572, so that the secondary spool 574 rotates with and in the opposite direction of the primary spool 572 and vice versa.

The secondary spool 574 is rotatably mounted to body half 578 by inserting secondary spool support member 618 through a passageway 620 in the second portion 596 of the secondary spool 574 and through the passageway 616 of the hub portion 600 of the first portion 594. When components of the cartridge assembly are mounted on there respective support members 582, 590 and 618 and housing body halves 578 and 580 are joined together, the support members 582, 590 and 618 of body half 578 engage openings 620, 622 and 624 (best shown in FIGS. 61 and 62) of the body half 580. This engagement secures the components on the respective support members and assists in supporting the support members.

Referring to FIGS. 66 and 67, handheld application 500 can be used for either glide-type applications or single adhesive segment applications. The glide-type application is similar to the glide type application described above. In such application, the use grips handle portion 514, presses the linear or carrier strip 630 against and object (not shown) and moves the handheld applicator 500 downwardly or in the direction of adhesive application. As the handheld applicator 500 is moved, the friction between the carrier tape 630 and the object causes the primary spool 572 to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction in FIG. 66 and a clockwise direction in FIG. 67. Referring to FIG. 67, the cooperation of the gear teeth 592 of the primary spool 572 and the gear teeth 608 of secondary sprocket portion 606 of the second portion 596 of the secondary spool 574 cause the secondary spool 574 to rotate in the opposite direction and spent carrier tape 630 is automatically taken up by the secondary spool 574. The glide motion continues until a desired number of adhesive segments 632 is transferred to the object. Additionally, because the leaf spring 524 is biasing the track wheel 520 to a disengaged position, and thus the track wheel 520 is disengaged from the secondary spool 574, the primary and secondary spools 572 and 574 are free to rotate without interference from the track wheel 520. With the track wheel 520 disengaged, less force is required to rotate the primary and secondary spools.

According to one method of using the handle held applicator 500, a selected amount of adhesive 632 can be positioned for application to an object by manually advancing the carrier strip or liner 630 a desired amount. Referring to FIG. 66, in this embodiment, the track wheel 520 is being held in a disengaged position by the leaf spring 524 and a user applies enough force to the track wheel 520 to flex the leaf spring 524 and move the track wheel 520 forwardly into the engaged position (not shown). In the engaged position, the gears 562 (not shown) of track wheel 520 engage the sprocket portion 598 of the first portion 594 of secondary spool 574. With reference to FIG. 66, rotation of the track wheel 520 in a counter-clockwise direction drives the secondary spool 574 in a clockwise direction. Turing to FIG. 67, because of the cooperation between the secondary sprocket portion 606 of the secondary spool 574 and the gear teeth 592 of the primary spool 572, the primary spool 572 rotates in a direction opposite the secondary spool 574. As the primary spool 572 rotates, it advances or pays out a length of carrier tape 630. The user rotates the track wheel 520 until a desired amount of carrier tape 630 is advanced from the primary spool 572. Preferably, the user rotates the track wheel 520 to advance enough tape 630 to place one adhesive segment 632 into position for attachment to an object. It should be under stood that slack in the carrier tape 630 between the primary or supply spool 572 and the secondary or take-up spool 574 can be removed by rotating the track wheel 520 in the opposite direction.

It will be understood that the embodiments of the present invention which have been described are illustrative of some of the applications of the principles of the present invention Numerous modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention, including those combinations of features that are individually disclosed or claimed herein. 

1. A handheld adhesive applicator, comprising: a housing; and a cartridge adapted to be removably connected to the housing, the cartridge having a primary spool and a secondary spool, the primary spool adapted to receive an adhesive roll including a wound supply of a liner having adhesive deposited thereon, the secondary spool adapted for collecting portions of the liner that are advanced from the primary spool, and wherein the primary spool and the secondary spool are operatively connected to each other by a drive belt.
 2. The handheld applicator of claim 1 further including a manual advancement member configured to advance a desired amount of liner from the adhesive roll.
 3. The handheld applicator of claim 2 in which the manual advancement member comprises a finger actuated trigger.
 4. The handheld applicator of claim 2 in which the manual advancement member comprises a finger rotatable element.
 5. The handheld applicator of claim 4 in which the rotatable element is a track wheel.
 6. The handheld applicator of claim 2 in which the manual advancement member is connected to the housing.
 7. The handheld applicator of claim 2 in which the manual advancement member is operably associated with the primary spool.
 8. The handheld applicator of claim 2 in which the manual advance member is disengageably associated with the secondary spool.
 9. The handheld applicator of claim 1 in which the cartridge includes a rotational speed differential mechanism configured to compensate for a rotational speed differential between the primary and secondary spools.
 10. The handheld applicator of claim 9 in which the rotational speed differential mechanism comprises a slip sleeve associated with the secondary spool.
 11. The handheld applicator of claim 1 further including a handle removably attached to the housing.
 12. The handheld applicator of claim 1 in which the cartridge includes a guide channel for guiding the drive belt between the primary and secondary spools.
 13. A cartridge for use with a handheld adhesive applicator, comprising: a primary spool adapted to receive an adhesive roll, the adhesive roll including a wound supply of a liner having adhesive deposited thereon; and a secondary spool adapted for collecting portions of the liner that are advanced from the primary spool, and wherein the primary spool and the secondary spool are operatively connected to each other by a drive belt.
 14. The cartridge of claim 13 further including a rotational speed differential mechanism configured to compensate for a rotational speed differential between the primary and secondary spools.
 15. The cartridge of claim 14 in which the rotational speed differential mechanism comprises a slip sleeve associated with the secondary spool.
 16. The cartridge of claim 13 in which the primary spool is configured to operably cooperate with a manual advancement member of the housing.
 17. The cartridge of claim 13 further including a guide channel for guiding the drive belt between the primary and secondary spools.
 18. A method of applying adhesive, comprising: providing an adhesive applicator having a housing and cartridge removably connected to the housing, the cartridge having a primary spool and a secondary spool, the primary spool adapted to receive an adhesive roll including a wound supply of a liner having adhesive deposited thereon, the secondary spool adapted for collecting portions of the liner that are advanced from the primary spool, and wherein the primary spool and the secondary spool are operatively connected to each other by a drive belt; activating a manual advancement member of the adhesive applicator to advance a desired amount of the liner from the adhesive roll; collecting portions of the advanced liner on the secondary spool; and applying adhesive from the liner to an object.
 19. The method of claim 18 wherein activating a manual advancement member comprises rotating a rotatable member with a finger.
 20. The method of claim 18 wherein activating a manual advancement member comprises applying force to a trigger.
 21. The method of claim 19 including rotating the advancement member to place at least one adhesive segment carried by the liner into position for application to the object. 